Can opener



March 1965 H. N. BLAKESLEE ETAL 3,172,317

CAN OPENER Filed Jan. 17. 1961 NF. 5 05 M v, MW m/M M m 6 m 55% fin n yf J m RR W 7 B United States Patent 3,172,317 CAN OPENER Harry NelsonBlakeslee, Barrington, and Harlen Edgar Wilkinson, Crystal Lake, 11].,assignors to American Can Company, New York, N.Y., a corporation of NewJersey Filed Jan. 17, 1961, Ser. No. 83,234 1 Claim. (Cl. 81-346) Thepresent invention relates in general to container or can opening devicesand has particular reference to a pry-ofi type opener for removing froma can a countersunk panel end closure having inner and outer end seamflanges surrounding and frictionally embracing a marginal edge portionof the body of the can.

An object of the invention is is to provide a pry-off opened for such acan closure where in there is available an element for engaging underthe closure end seam and a variable fulcrum point element setting upmoment arms of progressively increasing length during the openingoperation so as to produce a short moment arm and a high pressure pryingaction with a low pressure requirement at the beginning of the openingaction and longer moment arms with uniformly low pressure requirementsduring the remainder of the opening action.

Another object is to provide such a pry-off can opener in which there isprovided means engageable against the inner face of the closure seam tolock the outer seam engaging element in its gripping position under theseem so as to prevent slippage of the element and thereby insurecomplete removal of the can closure in a single lifting action of theopener.

Numerous other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparentas it is better understood from the following description, which, takenin connection with the accompanying drawings, discloses a preferredembodiment thereof.

Referring to the drawings:

FiGURE 1 is a side elevation of a pry-01f can opener embodying theinstant invention;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the can opener shown in FIG. 1;

FIGS. 3 and 4 are fragmentary schematic views showing the end seamportion of the top end of a can in section and the can opener of FIGS. 1and 2 applied to the closure seam, portions of the opener being brokenaway, with FIG. 3 showing the initial opening position of the opener andFIG. 4 showing the closure partially removed; and

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary side view of a modified form of the opener shownin FIGS. 1 and 2 with the modified opener initially applied to theclosure seam of the top end of a can shown in section and with partsbroken away.

As a preferred and exemplary embodiment of the instant invention, FIGS.1 and 2 of the drawings illustrate a pry-off type can opener for pryingfrom a sheet metal can body 11 (FIGS. 3 and 4), a crimped-on metal canend or closure 12 having a countersunk panel 13 formed with respectiveinner and outer end seam flanges 14, 15 surrounding and frictionallyembracing a crimped or S- shaped marginal edge portion 16 of the canbody 11. The terminal edge of the outer flange 15 preferably is bentback on itself as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 to produce an inwardly disposedhem 17 providing a smooth, rounded terminal edge 18 for the closure.Such a closure and end seam is fully disclosed in US. Patent 2,428,371,issued October 7, 1947 to H. Kinberg on Container.

The pry-off opener 10 preferably is made of flat steel stock andcomprises a handle portion 21 having at one end an S-shaped or curvedbridge port-ion 22 which merges into a long curved fulcrum element orrocker head 23. The bridge portion 22 adjacent the rocker head 23 isformed with a locking lug 24 which is struck out from the 3,172,317Patented Mar. 9, 1965 material of the bridge portion and which projectsin a direction toward the handle, -i.e. in a direction opposite to therocker head 23 but substantially forming a continuation or extension ofthe rocker head.

In a similar manner, the handle 21 adjacent the bridge portion 22 isformed with a depending hook lug 26 which is struck out from thematerial of the handle and which terminates in a slightly upturned hooknose 27. The hook nose 27, as viewed in FIG. 1 is disposed in spacedrelation to the terminal end of the locking lug 24 a distancesubstantially equal to one-half of the height of the end seam of theclosure 12, and is located slightly below the level of the terminal endof the locking lug.

For the purpose of removing a closure 12 from a can body 11, the pry-ofiopener 10 is initially applied to the can as shown in FIG. 3. In thisinitial position the bridge portion 22 of the opener bridges the endseam of the closure 12, and the rocker head 23 engages against the topouter face of the countersunk panel 13. The hook nose 27 is engagedunder the smooth edge 18 of the outer flange 15 and the terminal end ofthe locking lug 24 is disposed contiguous to the exposed inner face ofthe inner flange 14 adjacent the top edge of the seam as shown in FIG.3.

With the opener 10 in this initially applied posit-ion it is merelynecessary to lift upwardly on the outer 'end of the handle 21 whilemaintaining the rocker head 23 in engagement with the countersunk panel13. The rocker head 23 provides the fulcrum point on which the opener isrocked. In this initial position of the opener, the fulcrum point isimmediately adjacent the end seam of the closure 12 and thereby sets-offa short moment arm in relation to the hook nose 27 so that only aminimum pres sure on the handle is required to begin the prying actionagainst the outer flange 15 of the closure.

A=s continued pressure is exerted on the handle 21 the hook lug 26 liftsor prys the flanges 14, 15 free of the can body marginal edge portion 16as shown in FIG. 4 while the rocker head 23 rolls back on thecountersunk panel 13 and thereby progressively increases the moment armin relation to the hook lug 26 and thus provides for a decreased butsubstantially uniform pressure requirement on the handle 21.

This prying action on the outer flange 15 of the closure lifts theflanges 14, 15 substantially in a vertical direction without spreadingthe flanges apart. As the prying action is continued the countersunkpanel 13 bends upwardly and the flanges around the periphery of the canbody 11 are progressively released from the body until the closure iscompletely removed.

During this prying action and substantially at the time the pressure isinitially applied to the handle 21, the locking lug 24 engages againstthe inner flange 14 near the top edge of the flange as shown in FIG. 4and thereby locks the hook nose 27 of the hook lug 26 againstdisplacement from the smooth terminal edge 18 of the outer flange 15.The hook nose 27 is thereby prevented from slipping out from under theclosure edge 18 and it is through this locking feature that the closuremay be completely removed from the can in a single prying action.

In the modified form of the invention as shown in FIG, 5, the openerpreferably is made of flat steel stock and its edge is utilized for theprying action instead of a flat face as in the preferred form of theinvention shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. In this modified form, a handle 31 isprovided at one end of the stock, while the other end is bifurcated todefine a pair of legs extending away from the handle 31. One of the legsterminates in a laterally inwardly facing locking lug 33 disposed in thebifurcation opening 34. Opposed to the locking lug 33, the other leg 35of the opener is formed with a laterally inwardly facing hook lug 36terminating in a hook nose 37 disposed in spaced relation to andsubstantially directly opposite the locking lug 33. The outer edge ofthe leg having locking lug 33 thereon is areuately curved to form arocker head or fulcrum element 32.

When this modified opener is initially applied to a closure 12 to bepried oif its can body 11, the locking lug 33 engages against the baseor lowerend of the inner flange 14 of the closure and also engagesagainst the countersunk panel 13. The outer edge of locking lug 33 iscurved and forms a continuation of the rocker head 32.

The hook nose 37 of the hook lug 36 engages under the smooth terminaledge 13 of the outer flange 15 as in the preferred form of opener.

Hence when pressure is applied to the handle 31 of the modified opener,the prying action against the outer flange 15 begins with a moment armconsiderably shorter than in the preferred form of opener and hence alesser pressure is required on the handle to begin the openingoperation. The prying action in the modified form opener issubstantially the same as with the preferred form, except that thelocking lug 33 engages against the base of the inner flange 14 andthereby has a tendency to prevent spreading apart of the flanges 14, 15during the prying-off operation as well as locking the hook nose 37 ofthe hook lug 36 in position under the outer flange edge 13 to insurecomplete removal of the closure 12 in one single operation.

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantageswill be understood from the foregoing description, and it will beapparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction andarrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope ofthe invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the formhereinbefore described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

We claim:

A pry-off can opener formed from a single piece of stock for removingfrom a can a countersunk panel end closure having inner and outer endseam flanges surrounding and frictionally embracing a marginal edgeportion of the body of said can, one end of said stock defining anelongated handle for said opener, a hook lug struck outwardly from saidstock adjacent said handle and facing the other end of said stock forengagement under an exposed edge of said outer end seam flange of saidend closure to pry said closure from said can body by pressure exertedon said handle, said stock other end defining an arcuately curvedfulcrum element disposed in spaced relation to said hook luglongitudinally of said stock for engagement with said countersunk panelof said end closure inwardly of said inner seam flange to provide anincreasing moment arm between said element and said hook lug tofacilitate prying said closure from said can body, and a locking lugstruck outwardly from said stock adjacent said fulcrum element facingsaid one stock end and disposed adjacent said hook lug in spacedconfronting relation thereto for engagement with the inner face of saidinner end seam flange when said opener is on said closure to retain saidhook lug in engagement with said exposed edge of said outer end seamflange during said prying action and to insure against excessive outwardbending of said outer end seam flange, said opener stock between saidhook lug and locking lug having a reverse curvature from that of saidfulcrum element to provide clearance thereunder between said lugs forsaid seam flanges when saidopener is positioned in operative engagementtherewith.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,496,437 Stokke June 3, 1924 1,978,487 Courtney Oct. 30, 1934 2,067,599Courtney Jan. 12, 1937 2,715,264 Atwater Aug. 16, 1955 2,860,533 LydonNov. 18, 1958 2,964,763 Nagy Dec. 20, 1960.

